Mail-loader.



W. RICHARDS.

MAIL LOADER. APPLICATION FILED APB.. 6, 1912. 1,032,775. PatentedvJuly 16, 1912.

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W. RICHARDS.

MAIL LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1912.

Patented July 16, 1912.

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cOLUMBxA PLANoun/IPH co., WASHINGTON, D, C.

WILLIAM RICHARDS, OF AKRON, OHIO.

MAIL-LOADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application led April 6, 1912. Serial No. 688,992.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements 1n Mail-Loaders; 'and l do hereby declare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail loaders, and has for its object to provide an apparatus of this character adapted to project a bag containing mail from a casing or housing ar ranged adjacent the track.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the apparatus that the bag of mail will be projected from the housing into the door of a moving car.

`With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangeu ment of parts as will be hereinafter'fully described and claimed.

ln the drawings: Figure 1 is a view showing the device in position to project mail into the door of a passing car. Fig. 2 is a front view of the loader with the end of the casing removed. Fig. 3 is an end view of the loader. Fig. Ll is a sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the cusing and loader showing the tripping 1nechanism in a position previous to the release thereof. Fig. 6 is a similar view, the tripping mechanism being shown after the same has been released by the passing car.

rlhe loading device consists of a casing 1 which is adapted to be arranged adjacent the track. Upon the top of the casing 1 is mounted a housing 2, and has its end which is disposed toward the track open.

Slidably mounted in the housing 2 is a bag container 8, which consists of a bottom el., side walls 5 and an end wall 6. Extend ing transversely of the end wall 6 is a bar 7, the opposite ends of which are projected a short distance beyond the sides of the housing 2, and are adapted for travel in slots S formed in the sides of the housing, and extend approximately half the distance thereof.

Arranged upon both sides of the open end of the housing 2 are bolts 9, said bolts being provided with eyes 10. Connected to the eyes 10 are the inner ends of coil springs 11, the outer ends of which being secured in perforations 12 formed in the ends of the bar 7, said springs serving to project the bag container. 3 forwardly in the housing when released.

Pivotally mounted near the upper end of the rear wall of the casing 1, and interiorly thereof, is a lever 13, and to which is pivotally connected the lower end of a pin 14:, the upper end of which extends a short distance above the top of the casing, and is beveled, as at 15, to more readily engage the socket plate 1G carried by the end wall 6 of the housing 2, the upward movement of said pin being limited by the projected ends of a transversely arranged pin 17 carried by the pin 14.

To one end of the lever 13 is secured the upper end of a coil spring 18, the lowcrend of which being secured to the rear wall of the casing 1. The other end of the lever 13 is provided with an oiiset 19 which is adapted to be engaged by and disengaged from the hooked upper end 2O of the vertically sliding bar 21, the same being mounted in guides 22 carried by the rear wall of the casing 1.

Extending into the bottom of the casing 1 is a rock shaft 23 having formed upon its inner end the short arm Q4, and to which is pivotally connected the lower end of a link 25, the upper end of said link being simi larly connected intermediate the ends of the bar 21.

Extending upwardly from the outer en d of the shaft 23 is a trip arm 2G, and in a convenient position to be engaged by a passing car.

The trip arm 2G is so formed as to producea loop 27 to facilitate the displacement of the arm 26 by the arm 28 which is pivotally connected to one side of the car 30. The arm 28 is so formed that its inner end may be conveniently engaged b a latch 31 carried by the end wall of the car 30, so that the same may be held in a position to engage the loop Q7 of the trip 26, when the car is in motion.

Pivotally connected to the casing 1, and adjacent the hooked end 20 of the bar 21 is an angle arm 32, one end of which engages the bar 21, and is held in yielding contact therewith by a coil spring 83, one end of which is connected to the other end of the angle arm 32, the lower end of said spring being secured to the rear wall of the casing 1. Thus it will be seen that thearmm32` From this construction, it will be seen that Y when the arm 28 carried by a passing car engages the loop 27, the shaft 23 will be rocked, and through the link 25 the bar 2l will be drawn downwardly until the hook 20 thereof disengages from the oset 19 carried by the lever 13, and at which time the pin 14 has been withdrawn from engagement with the socket plate 16, whereupon the bag container 3 will move rapidly forward in the housing 2 and project a mail bag through the open door of the passing car. rIo reset the tripping mechanism, it is only necessary to reverse the movement of the parts, whereupon the hook 20 will engage the offset 19, and the parts are in a position as shown in Fig. 5.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail loader comprising a casing, a housing mounted upon the casing and having an open end, slots formed in the sides of the housing, a bag container movable in the housing, a transverse bar carried by the container and operable in said slots, edil springs connecting the ends of the bar and housing, a pin carried by the casing and adapted to engage the container, means carnrie'd inv-the casing adapted to be actuated by Ymoving car.

2. A mail Aloader' comprising a casing, a housing mounted upon the casing, a bag container movable in the housing, springs connected to the container and housing, a pin carried by the casing and adapted to engage' the container to hold the same against the tension of said springs, a lever pivotally mounted in the. casing and similarly connected to said pin, an offset carried by one end of the lever, a vertically slidable bar carried by t-he casing and having a hook formed upon its upper end for engagement by and disengagement from' said offset, a rock shaft carried by the casing, a link connecting the rock shaft and bar, yieldable means for positively causing engagementof the offset by said hook, said rock shaft being adapted to be actuated by a moving car to operate the lever to release the container.

In testimony whereof, I aiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM RICHARDS. Witnesses:

F. I-I. IVYATT, N. W'ALLENBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve oents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

